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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. face — to confront
  3. staff — a stick
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. face — part of the head
  8. key — the most important part
  9. staff — employees
  10. squash — to crush
  11. chest — of your body
  12. staff — employees
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. chest — a box
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. firm — a company
  19. face — to point toward
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pass — a permit
  24. chest — of your body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com